Adventures in Armenia

Hiking tour

8 days / 7 nights

DAY 1. Arrival in Yerevan. City tour

Arrival at “Zvartnots” International Airport. Meeting at the airport. Transfer to the hotel. Check-in. Rest. City tour including a visit to the Matenadaran – a depository of ancient manuscripts. Tasting Armenian dishes at a local restaurant. Excursion and degustation at Yerevan Brandy Factory. Spare time and overnight in Yerevan.

DAY 2. Yerevan - Geghard (UNESCO) - Garni - Yerevan

Hiking trail: Garni – Symphony of Stones – Havuts Tar (within the territory of Khosrov State Reserve). Back at the same way (a moderate hike, 10 km/ 4 h). The starting point of your hiking trail is Garni – the only standing pagan temple in Armenia (1 370m). Then you pass through dry steppe and semi-desert zones. Walking through a deep gorge edged with high cliffs, you stop at a rare natural monument called “the Symphony of Stones” (1 250m). After a light picnic lunch and a short rest, you move on with a gradual ascent to half-ruined Havuts Tar Monastic Complex (1 590m). The road climbs up to the spectacular views of endless mountain ranges seen from all sides of the edge of the gorge!

Hiking trail: Sanahin – Kayan – Haghpat (a moderate hike, 10 km/ 5 h).The next hiking stretches from one architectural masterpiece (1 032m) to another one. Now you pass through Armenian colorful villages enjoying the peace and magnificent scenes of a remote mountainous village. After passing through wheat fields, there is steep descent to the gorge (810m) and gradual ascent to semi-ruined Kayan Fortress (858m). Thanks to its isolated position, a marvelous view to the adjacent mountainous nature typical for steppe and forest-steppe zones opens out from the fortress. Picnic lunch and a short rest. Now, let's go ahead to Haghpat (1 010m).

DAY 5. Dilijan - Yenokavan - Lake Sevan - Yeghegnadzor

Dilijan – Yenokavan village – Tasting home-made dishes with a local family - Observing the full view of Lake Sevan from the height of its peninsula – Selim Caravanserai – Spare time and overnight in Yeghegnadzor town.

Hiking trail: Yenokavan – Cave of Lastiver – Waterfalls of Lastiver. Back at the same way (a moderate hike, 7 km/ 3 h).The breathtaking hiking trail passes through sub-Alpine and Alpine zone. Starting near Yenokavan village (1 360m) you walk along the edge of a deep gorge admiring the surrounding scenes and then walk down through a mountainous venerable forest. The first stop is at a cave famous for its mystic human face carvings, and then you proceed to the fabulous waterfalls. Have a rest at this relaxing atmosphere (1060m).

DAY 6. Yeghegnadzor - Noravank - Khor Virap - Yerevan

Yeghegnadzor – Amaghu village – Noravank Monastic Complex. Tasting Armenian dish “khorovats” in the adjacent cave – Khor Virap with the view of the Biblical Mount Ararat. Spare time and overnight in Yerevan.

Hiking trail: Amaghu – Noravank (a moderate hike, 5 km/ 1 h). The last hiking of your journey starts from ruined Amaghu village (1 527m) and passes through a path (1 400m) surrounded by huge fiery red rocks. The final point is Noravank Monastic Complex (1 508m) with the composition of the surrounding fiery red rocks.

DAY 7. Yerevan - Etchmiadzin (UNESCO) - Zvartnots (UNESCO) - Yerevan

Yerevan – The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin (Mother Cathedral with the Cathedral Museum (UNESCO)) – Zvartnots Temple (UNESCO) – Food Market in Yerevan. Spare time. Farewell Dinner accompanied by national live music and songs. Overnight in Yerevan.